One rainy afternoon, I drank a small glass of South India’s finest organic coffee and was immediately in love with its taste. That first frothy sip went straight down to my throat and spread its warmth all over my body. It was bitter with just a hint of sugar, and it smelled divine. I was maybe 8 or 10 years old, that was my first time drinking coffee and it’s a memory I haven’t forgotten.
It wasn’t until years later that I was allowed to drink coffee again and with it came a long list of dos and don’ts about its consumption. Coffee is good for you - Coffee is bad for you. Drink coffee, it’ll help you live longer. Have a cold? Drink coffee. Need to pull an all-nighter for that exam tomorrow? Drink coffee.
Do you drink coffee? Doesn’t that make your skin break out? How do you sleep at night? Doesn’t it make you an anxious mess? You know, you shouldn’t drink coffee because it'll make your skin tone darker (gasp!) The list was long and it was hard to separate myth from reality. So today, I’m going to be doing just that.
A. Health Benefits of Coffee: The Reality
Coffee contains caffeine! We all know that but did you know that it is rich in antioxidants too? These antioxidants help reduce inflammation, affect insulin sensitivity, and improve metabolism. If you're at risk of developing type 2 diabetes then drinking coffee can help you. Yes, you read that right.
That’s not all, research suggests coffee can also help with weight management! It alters the way your body stores fat and supports gut health. There have also been studies that show people who consume coffee regularly have a significantly lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, and a lower risk of dementia, cognitive decline, and depression.
Studies have also found that drinking coffee significantly reduces the risk of death by suicide. Here’s the bottom line. Coffee is good for you. In addition to increasing your overall energy levels, It’s also proven to reduce all-cause mortality. So go ahead. Drink that cup of coffee. But wait! Like all good things —moderation is key.
B. Acknowledging the Primary Coffee Myths
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Coffee causes Insomnia: The number one myth about coffee is that it causes insomnia. It has caffeine after all. Uhhh no. You won’t lose your sleep unless you’ve had too much of it. Then, It'll only make you stay awake longer.
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Coffee will dehydrate you: No. It won’t because it’s 98% water. So it’s just water that tastes great.
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Coffee will make you lose weight: This is a misconception. Coffee helps with weight management and alters the fat storage in your body but it does not actively reduce weight. You need a balanced diet and physical exercise for that. And if you want to drink some coffee with that then there’s no harm.
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Coffee helps with hangovers: I’m sorry to burst this bubble. Although it helps to perk you up and make you feel alert it doesn’t do anything to the alcohol levels in your body.
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Coffee will make your skin tone darker: Nope. There’s no correlation between caffeine and melanin. This one’s a South Asian myth.
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Coffee is addictive: Okay, this one might not be untrue. Coffee does have some addictive properties but they’re only short-term. It does not negatively affect your health in the long term.
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Coffee stunts growth: There’s been no scientific evidence that it affects growth in any way. Does that mean it’s okay for kids to have coffee? No, because children have a lower tolerance for caffeine and it can cause irritability and mood changes.
Conclusion
It’s World Coffee Day which means that this little seed (myth—coffee is a bean) is so beloved all over the world that we’ve dedicated an entire day to celebrate it. Its distinct aroma, its unique taste, and its many properties make it an excellent beverage. Coffee lovers all over the world swear by its magic. And they won’t be wrong in doing so.
Espresso, American black coffee, Indian filter coffee, or Instant Coffee is made all over the world in different ways. We’ve already established that coffee is a great choice of drink but we also need to understand that although it is good for you, it shouldn't be overused. Coffee, like most things in life, is only good if used in moderation.
